List of remaining candidates of Congress to be announced soon: Chhattisgarh CM Baghel

Oct 22, 2023

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], October 22 : Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday said deliberations of finalising the remaining seven candidates of the party for the next month's Assembly polls have been done and the list will be declared soon.
The Congress has so far announced 83 candidates for the 90-member state Legislative Assembly.
Addressing a press briefing, Chief Minister Baghel questioned why the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), despite being in opposition, is being slow-footed in announcing the candidates.
"That (announcement of remaining seven candidates) will happen soon... We have done all the exercises but why is BJP waiting? They are releasing lists one by one, they released Pandariya's list and now they are stuck again," Baghel said in the press briefing.
When asked about Congress' manifesto, he said caste survey, 20 quintals of paddy procurement and housing facilities might figure in the list of the pre-poll promises. "Regarding which the announcements have been made already," Baghel said.
"We have already made three announcements that if our party is voted to power, we will conduct a caste census, will procure 20 quintals of paddy, (regarding which) I have already announced in state Assembly and we will provide housing to 17.5 lakh families," the chief minister said.
The elections for the 90-member Assembly of Chhattisgarh will be held in two phases.
The first phase of polling for 20 seats will be held on November 7, and the remaining 70 seats will go to polls on November 17.
The counting of votes will take place on December 3.
Earlier after the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress witnessed a landslide victory winning 68 seats out of 90 of those against the then ruling-BJP, which acquired 15 seats.